Studies in American Literature (378-0-20)

Topic

Westerns

Instructors

Lauren Jackson

Meeting Info

Parkes Hall 223: Mon, Wed 2:00PM - 3:20PM

Overview of class

Well over a century after the West was won—or rather, seized—narratives of the wild, wild West continue to pervade mass media in the U.S. and beyond. Musical artists such as Lil Nas X, Megan Thee Stallion, Orville Peck, and Beyoncé have been credited with ushering in a "yeehaw agenda" return to cowboy aesthetics and Yellowstone and Landman, cable dramas about the modern-day West, are some of the most watched shows on television. This course is an introduction to the genre of the western as it has appeared throughout literature and visual media from James Fenimore Cooper to Cowboy Bebop. We will begin in the 19th century, when narratives of the West helped the U.S. repair its deepest ideological fissure, slavery, after the war that tore the nation apart. In the 20th century, we will consider the role of cinema in ushering in visions of the West, including the invention of the Spaghetti Western (and why we call them that). Lastly, we will turn to contemporary mutations of the western to think about how westerns persist and remain lively to issues of race, sexuality, and the nation.

Teaching Method

Lecture-discussion.

Evaluation Method

Class participation, weekly quiz, essays (2).

Class Materials (Required)

Texts include: John Ford, Sergio Leone, Cormac McCarthy, Blazing Saddles, Quentin Tarantino, The Rugrats, Jane Campion, Firefly.

Texts will be available at: Norris

Class Attributes

Advanced Expression
Literature and Arts Foundational Discipline
Literature & Fine Arts Distro Area